Clyburn Blames ALEC For ‘Climate’ That Caused SC Shooting

Representative James Clyburn (D-SC) blamed the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and stand your ground, voter ID, and redistricting laws for creating the “climate” that led to the killing of Walter Scott on Wednesday’s “Hardball” on MSNBC.

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While Clyburn thanked the Scott family, and the Mayor and Police Chief of North Charleston for their response to the shooting, he added “the problem we’ve got is that a climate has been created in the country that’s causing these things to occur all over. And Chris, I know I get a lot of criticism from this from some of my friends, but this so-called American Legislative — whatever they call that group — ALEC’s Legislative Exchange Council, they have been drawing up these…pieces of legislation like stand your ground, that legislation gives a license for people to be vigilantes. They are the ones that are drawing up all of these so-called voter ID laws. They are the ones that have been drawing up these unfair redistricting plans. These people are a cancer eating at the innards of our society, and it’s time for our elected officials to start speaking out about this, because the climate that’s being created is not a good climate, and that’s why you have these rogue police officers feeling they have a license to do what they want to do, and there will be no consequences pay it forward. And I think that that’s the mindset of this police officer.”